Method of preventing boiler incrustation.



UNrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. JONES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND L.CLARENCE NOBLE, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF PREVENTING BOILER INCRUSTATION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,820, dated February26, 1901.

Application filed October 22, 1900. Serial NO-33|995- (No specimens.)

To a-ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. J ONES, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of PreventingIncrustat-ion in Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the art or method ofpreventing incrustations in steam-boilers.

It has been known for some time that by passing the water over or incontact with mercury, or over both mercury and zinc, prior to itsentering the boiler measurably good results could be obtained inpreventing incrustation, and I have shown in my Patent No. 549,570, ofNovember 12, 1895, an apparatus for thus subjecting the water to contactwith mercury. I have now discovered by experiment that the incrustationcan be wholly prevented by subjecting the water not only to contact withmercury or with mercury and zinc, but also to impregnation withbicarbonate of soda or its chemical equivalent; and the presentinvention consists, substantially, in subjecting the water admitted tothe boiler to contact with metallic mercury or with both mercury andzinc and also to impregnation with bicarbonate of soda or its chemicalequivalent.

A practical method of carrying out my invention is to mix with thewater, either prior to or at the time of its entering the feed pump orinjector, a quantity of bicarbonate of soda, and also to conduct thewater, While en route to the boiler, over .or in contact with metallicmercury or over both mercury and zinc. The latter feature of the processmay be effected in any suit-able apparatus-as, for instance, that shownin my said patent,

The impregnating material may be administered periodically-as, forinstance, once a day-and it is most conveniently done in the mannerdescribed, though it may be mixed with the water at any point in itscourse to or even after its entrance into the boiler. Enough can besupplied at one charge to contin ue its work in the boiler during anordinary days run.

Among the chemical equivalents of the soda which can be used in itsstead in practicing my process of treating the water I would enumeratethe carbonates and bicarbonates, both crude and purified, of the alkalimetals and the carbonates and bicarbonates, both crude and purified, ofthe metals of the alkaline earths, also the neutral and basicphosphates, both crude and purified, of the alkali metals and of themetals of the alkaline earths; but I do not wish to be limited to these.

I am aware that bicarbonate of soda has been added to the water forpreventing-incrustation; but the bicarbonate of soda will only partiallyprevent incrustation, and the same is also true of mercury and ofcombined mercury and zinc. By combining the two materials, the chemicaland the metallic, I completely prevent the incrustation.

I claim-- 1. The process of treating water for the prevention ofincrustation, consisting in subjecting the water to contact with mercuryand also impregnating it with bicarbonate of soda, substantially asspecified.

2. The process of treating water for the prevention of incrustation,consisting in subjecting the water to contact with mercury and zinc, andalso impregnating it with bicarbonate of soda, substantially asspecified.

3. The process of treating water for the prevention of incrustation,consisting in subjecting the water to contact with mercury and alsoimpregnating it periodically with bicarbonate of soda, substantially asspecified.

THOMAS H. JONES.

Witnesses:

EDW. S. EVARTS, L. C. NOBLE.

